In Brest on the eve of Boxing Night, participants of the international tournament and organizers met with journalists

On October 25, Brest will host Boxing Night, an international tournament under the auspices of IBA PRO, which will bring together fighters from Belarus, Russia, Cuba and Moldova in the Victoria Sports Complex. The program includes classic boxing, fights in gloves for MMA and a meeting of martial arts legend Jeff Monson with Ivan Sholtoyanu. But although the first gong will sound only tomorrow, the participants already today have a busy schedule: a visit to the Brest Fortress, laying flowers to the Eternal Flame and a meeting with journalists.

The first and most solemn part of the program was a visit to the memorial. Together with the city leadership, the guests laid flowers to the Eternal Fire, after which they went on a tour of the fortress. For eminent fighters, it was an opportunity to briefly leave the sporting rivalry outside the place of memory.

Particularly emotional about the visit to the fortress said Moldovan fighter Ivan Soltoyanu, who will meet with Jeff Monson:

- I'm 59 years old and I only knew about it from books. I never thought there would be a time when I would come here with my team and see it with my own eyes. I'm honored.

Then the events moved to the large hall of the cinema “Belarus”, where a press conference with the participants of the tournament and the organizers took place. Here the solemn atmosphere was replaced by the impatient interest of the public. It was especially difficult to get to the stage for Jeff Monson: the martial arts legend was surrounded by fans who wanted to get an autograph. He literally did not let go - everyone wanted to have time to approach the famous fighter before the meeting.

However, the attention to guests is only part of the overall hype around the tournament. Chairman of the Brest Regional Branch of BFB NGO Vitaly Shcherba noted that after the previous big night of boxing, the audience already knows what level the event takes the city:

- We're seeing a lot of excitement today. People ask how to get not only to the tournament itself, but even to the press conference. If before the first such evening someone else had doubts about the level of the event, now the audience knows what to expect. Last year we received a lot of calls from other regions: people were worried about being able to get to the stands. Therefore, this time they decided to make the entrance fee, but for a symbolic cost. Tomorrow we expect almost three thousand spectators in the arena - like-minded people who are united by their love of boxing. For Brest, this is not only a great sporting event, but also an opportunity to popularize boxing far beyond our region.

At the press conference, they talked not only about audience interest, but also about how the upcoming Boxing Night will differ from the previous one. One program will combine classic boxing, fights in gloves for MMA and a meeting of martial arts veterans. IBA PRO sports director Eduard Kravtsov stressed that the intrigue is not limited to the main fight:

- All martial arts fans are waiting for the confrontation of boxers, then fighters boxing in kentus, that is, in gloves for MMA. This is the first time we have such a symbiosis. This is one of the areas of IBA, which is now very actively developing around the world. You will also see the battle of our legendary fighters. It is very difficult to name a favorite in a particular fight: in my opinion, in almost all fights we have equal boxers. The more interesting the confrontation will be for the audience.

The main match of the evening will be a meeting of heavyweights - Belarusian Vladislav Smellikov and Russian Teimuraz Surov. Another duel will bring together Belarusian Alexander Rodionov and Cuban Victor Peres in the ring. And Jeff Monson will meet with Moldovan Ivan Soltoyanu – after today’s autographs and friendly communication, they will have a completely different conversation.

Boxing Night will be held on October 25 at the Victoria Sports Complex. Start at 18:00.